During my time doing an internship as a Game Designer at Primeskills, I also had to design some puzzle/level and the game flow for a VR Escape Room Game. The goal of the game was well, to escape the room but first the player must rescue an NPC who will guide them along the way. The game has an Egyptian theme which allows me to incorporate some Ancient Egyptian lore.
First thing that I did was designing the overall layout of the area, determining where the player start and where the player’s supposed to go. After that, I determined the type of challenges/enemies that may be appropriate for the area.
For the first half of Level 4 for example, I suggested an enemy that is shaped like one of the Egyptian Hieroglyph. When the eye is opened, a light will comes out from it, revealing it’s line of sight. The eyes will open alternately, leaving rooms for players to investigate the locked door that can be opened with a crest. Besides the locked door is a wall with the same shape as the missing crest, as a clue for the player to investigate the area in order to find the missing crest.
For the second half of the 4th level, I suggested an invisible platform puzzle. In the empty hall right before the “Start Invisible Plat”, there will be a visual clue on where the player can step. Player can command the AI NPC to help them read the clue and guide the player on where to go.
Guarding the Crest is a beetle-like enemy that moves along the dotted line. Player can hide behind the columns and in the shadow to stay hidden. Inside the treasure chest, not only will the player find a crest, they will also find a whistle item that can be used to distract enemies.
Below is the game flow for the 4th level
Translation:
A waypoint will show up at the locked door —> if the player has examine the door but is clueless on where to go next —> a waypoint will show up near the cress on the wall —> if the player enters the hall before “start invisible plat” —> a waypoint will show up in the “Start Invisible Platform”
